FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE: DECEMBER 27, 2019
RE: BEWARE THE “ONE RING” PHONE SCAM
For illegal robocallers, the
goal isn’t always getting you to answer. Sometimes it’s getting you to call
back.
Every so often, your phone
may ring once and then stop. If that happens to you, and you do not recognize
the number, do not return the call. You may be the target of a “one ring” phone
scam.
One-ring calls may appear to
be from phone numbers somewhere in the United States, including three initial
digits that resemble U.S. area codes. But savvy scammers often use
international numbers from regions that also begin with three-digit codes…for
example, “232” goes to Sierra Leone and “809” goes to the Dominican Republic.
Scammers may also use spoofing techniques to further mask the number in your
caller ID display.
If you call back, you risk
being connected to a phone number outside the U.S. As a result, you may wind up
being charged a fee for connecting, along with significant per-minute fees for
as long as they keep you on the phone. These charges may show up on your bill
as premium services, international calling, or toll-calling.
Variations of the scam rely
on phony voice-mail messages urging you to call a number with an unfamiliar
area code to “schedule a delivery” or to notify you about a “sick” relative.
To avoid this scam, the
Ulster County District Attorney’s Division of Consumer Affairs (845-340-3260)
advises:
·
Don’t
answer or return any calls from numbers you don’t recognize.
·
Before
calling unfamiliar numbers, check to see if the area code is international.
·
If
you do not make international calls, ask your phone company to block outgoing
international calls on your line.
·
Always
be cautious, even if a number appears authentic.